Category: news

Exciting news! I’m writing a book, called The Intelligence Trap – Why Smart People Make Stupid Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them. It will be published by Hodder and Stoughton in the UK, and my agent is currently negotiating the foreign rights in various territories.

Needless to say, I’m thrilled. Ever since I first took an IQ test to attend secondary school, I’ve been fascinated by the ways we assess cognitive ability, and that interest has only grown since I became a science writer. Psychologists and neuroscientists are now finding many skills and thinking styles that have been neglected by our old definitions of intelligence, but which turn out to be crucial for personal and professional success. Crucially, these skills can all be nurtured and cultivated – whatever our IQs, we can all think a bit more wisely.

Combining analyses of historical events, personal narratives, and philosophy, I’ll be show-casing this new discipline – sometimes called “evidence-based wisdom” – and exploring the ways that it can be applied by individuals, businesses and whole societies. These discoveries have already transformed my understanding of my own thinking, attitudes and behaviour – and I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity to bring them to a popular audience.

Over the course of the day, I mull over many new ideas and potential stories – and inevitably, not all of them are suited to the BBC’s audience. This blog is a home for those musings. It may not be as polished as my professional writing, but I hope that you will find it entertaining and informative; I hope you might also get to know me a bit better, personally, as I explore the stories behind the stories.

I’m always interested to hear feedback, so please do get in touch with your thoughts or queries. I’d also be interested if you have any scientific questions that you’d like me to research and answer.